Telephone lock



Dec. l1, 1934. s. sEGAL 1,984,089

TELEPHONE LOCK Filed April 22, 1932 Ile I mlmunmw lg INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Cil Patented Dec. l1, 1934 UNITED srATss ATENT OFFICE 1l Claims.

The present invention has general reference to a locking device more particularly adapted to reduce the range of selections on the impulse transmitting rotary ring of a dial telephone, the locking device being adapted to be inserted and locked in any one of the several finger openings of the rotary ring to prevent unauthorized use of the telephone for outgoing calls.

It is an object of the invention to provide a locking device which may be quickly attached to the dial of an automatic telephone to render the dial ineiective for practical'purposes.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a locking device for an automatic dial telephone comprising pivotally disposed means having shiftable terminals adapted to be pressed through a inger opening of the dial ring and subsequently cooperate therewith to prevent the device from being removed from the dial ring.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a locking construction of the character referred to which may be unlocked from the telephone dial by the aid of a manually actuated key for operating separate means to free the shiftable means from the adjacent walls of a iinger opening.

It is still a further object to provide a lock for a dial telephone, which comprises few parts, which is easy to assemble, which is reliable in operation and'which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects are in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application thereof will be indicated in the appended claims.

For clear understanding of the invention attention is directed to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken across the vertical post of an automatic telephone showing the rotary dialin perspective, and in which the locking device according to the invention is mounted.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the base of the telephone showing in elevation the locking device attached to the rotary dial which is also illustrated partly in section and taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a View taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a viewy taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the plug with the jacket'and barrel removed and Fig. 'l is a plan view oi the barrel and Fig. 8 is an elevation view of the barrel.

Referring to the drawing, the base of a telephone instrument is designated 10 and on this base is rotatably mounted in the usual fashion a ring 1l of an impulse transmitting dial device. This ring is provided with plurality of openings as 12 in which a finger ofthe operator may be inserted for selectively displacing the ring a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow and toward the xed stop 13 for electrically recording a predetermined order of signals or impulses to obtain a called station.

According to the invention, provision has been made to prevent unauthorized use of the telephone for outgoing calls however without disturbing the operation of the telephone as to reception of incoming calls. To this end, a lock device generally indicated 15 is mounted on the ring and arranged in one of the openings thereofvin order to cut down the range of selections of both letters and numbers of an indicia carrying card usually forming a background for the rotary ring.

As shown in Fig. l the locking device 15 is disposed in the rst opening of the rotary ring with respect to the stop 13 in a counter clockwise direction, although in actual practice the locking device may be inserted in any of the other openings of the dial ring 11 to cut down the range of character selections and render the dial ineffective for practical purposes.

The locking device is in the form of a plug or body having an upper cylindrical part 16 from which integrally depends a reduced cylindrical portion 17. The plug is provided with a bore 18 disposed eccentrically with respect to the vertical aXis o the plug, which bore terminates a slight distance above the bottom face 19 of the dependingv portion 1'7.

The upper part of the plug is provided with an irregular or approximately heart shaped recess 20 in which a cam comprising wings 21 and 22 carried by the cylindrical barrel 23 is seated. The barrel 23 is loosely and rotatably mounted in the bore 18 of the plug and is provided vvith a key receiving slot 24 coextensive the height thereof. This slot is in registration with a slot 25 formed between the wings 21 and 22, .the latter being integral with the barrel or suitably carried in unison thereby.

In the normal position of the cam, its wing 21 is disposed intermediate the curved side 26 of the reentrant lug 27 and the upper portion 29Yof the pivoted latch member or arm 3G and its opposite wing 22 is arranged between the upper curved rim V31 of the plug and the upper portion 32 of the pivoted latch arm 33.

VThe plug is provided With opposed and spaced slots 34 which extend substantially coextensive the height thereof and communicate with the upper heart shaped recess 20 and in each of these slots a latch member as 30, already alluded to is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum pin 35 secured to the sides of a respective slot, the

upper portions as 29 of alatch arm being so ari ranged as to extend into the recess 20.

Each of the latch arms which are identical in construction as to size and shape is provided with a lower lip portion generally designated 36, which portion includes a laterally extending shoulder 37 and a downward and inwardly inclined face 38. Y e

The lip portions of the latch arms are normally urged byVV the helicoidal spring 39 beyond their respective slots as to overhang the sides of thereduced portion 17 ofV the plug, which spring has its free portions abutting an inner face of an adjacent latch arm to urge the same outwardly, the spring being aise disposed in a suitable Yopening 40 passing through the reduced portion 17 offthe plug. Thus the lower portions of the latch arms by reason of the action of spring 39 extend beyond the sides of the reduced portion of the plug (see Fig. 5) while their upper portions normally are urged in a direction towards each other and are disposed (seeFig. 3) within close proximity of a side of an adjacentrwing of the cam. i.

The upper part of the plug is provided with several spaced and superposed openings as 41 and although only two of these openings are illustrated in the form according to Fig. 4, it is within the province of the invention to provide more than two when desired. These openings extend radially of the plug and communicate with corresponding openings as 42 of the barrel 23.

suitably mounted in an opening 41 of the plug and the extension thereof as 42 in the barrel are tumblers 43 and 44. As shown only two tumblers are disposed in an opening 41 and its extension but in practice more than two may be utilized when so required.

interposed between the depending wall 45 of a jacket 46 and the tumblers as 43 are the helicoidal springs 47 each of which being disposed in an opening 41.

With the key removed from the slot 24 of the barrel, the adjacent tumblers of the several rows are normally urged, say to the right (see Fig. 4). The extreme position of the several tumblers 44, if the key 48 be removed from the barrel are shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. In such position the several`tumblers43 would be extended. into an alined opening 42 and consequently prevent the barrel from being rotatably displaced about its own vertical axis.

If the key 48 be inserted in slot 24 the bitings as 49 thereof operate to displace the tumbler-s 44 a predetermined distance against companion tumblers 43 and in a direction towards and. against the action of an associated spring 47, such that faces as 50 and 51 of contiguous tum- Upon displacement of the barrel, the wings 2l Y.

and 22 of its cam will cause theY upper portions 29 and 32 of the latch arms tomoveoutwardly which action will also cause the lower lip portion of the arms to move inwardly within the limits of the reduced part 17 oi the plug and against the resistance of spring 39, the latch arms when swung on their pivots being guided in a respecu tive slot 34.

Anykey will not operate to displace the tumblers 44 as to have the meeting faces 50 and 51 of contiguous tumblers line up and consequently permit the rotation oi the barrel. The bitings of a key must be so cut as to displace the tumblers a certain distance in order that the aiore mentioned meeting faces of the several rows of tumbiers line up. 1n actual practice various combinations of lengths for the bitings as 44 maybe used and a key as 48 may be fashioned accordingly to line up the meeting faces oi the tumblers and it is to be understood that the invention is'not limited to two sets of tumblers or to a key with just two bitings.

Ajacket or casing is attached to the expanded part lo ofrtne plug. "lhisjacket comprises a tcpY wall 53V from which integrally :depends the annular iiange 45 and the latter is rictionally secured to said part 16, the top wall 53 'together with the 45'constitute an inverted cup in which the upper expanded part of the plug is received, the upper wall having an opening 54 in which the upper portion of the barrel is journaled.

The lower rim 55 of flange 45 may be slightly bent inwardly to overlap the lower circumfer ential edge of the expanded part of the plug to supplement the friction between the jacket and the plug for positively preventing the jacket from being disengaged therefrom.

Associated with the annular flange 45 is a deending extension 57. This extension overhangs a part of the restricted portion of the plug and its purposes is to cooperate with the outer face of the dial ring 12 to prevent rotation or the locking device about its vertical axis when the device locked to a finger opening of the dial ring and when it is desired to release the locking device from the dial ring.

In Fig. 1, the locking device is attached to the dial ring in one of the nger openings. If it is desired to remove the locking device, a key as 48 having proper bitings is placed into the slot of the barrel. This action causes the meeting faces of adjacent tumblers in the several rows to line up. The key is now turned, causing cam wings 21 22 to move outwardly and move in turn the upper portions 29 and 32 of the latch such that their lower lip portions 36 move inwardly and within their slots 34, thereby oiering no resistance to the withdrawal of the reduced part 17 or the locking device 'from an opening 12 of the dial ring.

When the locking device is withdrawn from a finger opening, lip, 36 of the latch arms automatically move outwardly as to extend beyond the reduced part 17 of the locking device, and the inner portions of these arms move inwardly,

Cil

one of which shifts cam wing 2l against the abutment side 26 of the reentrant lug 27 which in this instance serves as a stop.

` Where it is desired to attach the locking device in one of the finger openings of the dial, the lower reduced portion thereof is placed into a finger opening and the device is slightly pressed downwardly. The sides of the finger opening meets the inclined faces 38 of the latch arms, which operation causes the lips 36 of these arms to be forced against the action of the spring 39 to a position within their respective slots 34. In this way the part of reduced portion of the locking device which carries the lip members of the latch arm ymay be brought below the elevation of the surrounding walls of a nger opening. Once free of the sides of a finger opening, the lips of the latch arms again expend outwardly as to come under the lower face of the dial ring which is now locked between the upper faces of these lips and lower face or shoulder 57 of the expanded part 18 of the plug (see Fig. 2), the lips 36 when disposed below the dial ring and expanded prevent the locking device to be removed from the dial ring and the shoulder 57 is sustained and seated on the dial ring adjacent a plug receiving finger opening.

As illustrated the locking device is provided with several sets of tumblers of the cylindrical type or the like for cooperating with a properly cut key to line up the meeting faces of contiguous tumblers of a row to permit subsequent turning of the barrel. Of course, other forms of tumblers may be employed for a similar purpose such as the laminated form of tumblers or their equivalents within the province of the invention and any appropriate type of key may be utilized to line up the tumblers in the several rows preparatory to displacing the barrel.

In the broader aspects of the invention, I do not desire to be understood as limiting its embodiments to details herein shown illustratively as a wide variety of modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a perforated dial of a telephone, the combination of a member having complementary portions, one constituting an expanded part, and another a reduced part, the parts being integrally connected, the expanded part having a shoulder adapted to seat on the dial about a perforation, the reduced portion being disposed in said perforation and having shiftable means extending beyond the limits thereof, the shiftable means being displaceable upon engagement with the walls of said perforation towards the interior of the member, and subsequently diverging outwardly as to extend beyond the walls of a perforation to prevent the disengagement of the member from the dial and key operative means for bringing said shiftable means towards the member preparatory to its removal from a perforation and means bodily movable with said member and disposed adjacent the peripheral edge of said dial and overhanging the latter to prevent rotation of said member about its vertical axis.

2. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a telephone dial, the combination of, a member having an expanded part and a reduced part, the expanded part being sustained by the dial about a perforation and the reduced part being adapted to pass through the perforation, shiftable means extending from the reduced part and projecting beyond the limits thereof and adapted to be displaced therewithin upon engagement with the walls of said perforation, means for extending the shiftable means beyond the limits of the reduced part after having left the walls of the perforation to prevent disengagement of the member therefrom, key operative means for bringing said shiftable means within the limits of the reduced part preparatory to the removal of the member from the perforation, and overhanging means disposed adjacent the outer peripheral edge of the dial to prevent rotation of said member upon operation of said key operative means.

3. In a device of the character described for cutting down the range of selections of a telephone dial, the combination of a member having an opening, a key receiving barrel disposed therein, the member having a recess, a cam. having Wings carried by the barrel and extending laterally thereof but disposed within said recess, latch means pivotally connected to opposed portions of said member, upper portions of the latch means projecting into said recess and within close proximity to the wings of the cam, spring means for holding the lower portion of the latch means normally beyond the limits of a part of the member, and means to permit rotation of said barrel for operating said. cam to dispose the lower portions of the latch means within said part and means movable with said member and disposed adjacent the peripheral edge of said dial to prevent rotation of said member relative to said dial.

fl. In a device of the. character described, the combination of, a member having an opening, a key receiving barrel disposed therein, the member having a recess, aflug extending within the recess and at one side of said opening, a cam having wings carried by the barrel and extending laterally thereof but disposed within the recess, the lug constituting a stop for one of the wings, pivotal latch means having portions within the recess adapted to be actuated by said wings, the pivotal latch means including other parts normally extending beyond the limits of said member and means for rotating the barrel to drive said parts within the member.

5. In a lock device adapted to be inserted in a finger pull opening of a dial for reducing the range of character selections thereof, the combination of, a member, a key receiving barrel disposed therein, cam means carried by the barrel, latch means pivoted to said member, means for holding corresponding portions of the latch means beyond a restricted part of the member, a plurality of sets of tumblers disposed within the device, spring means for normally urging several of said tumblers to prevent rotation of the barrel, a jacket secured to a part of the member and forming an abutment for said spring means, and key means insertable in said barrel for arranging several of the tumblers in a predetermined order for moving the aforementioned portions within the restricted part of the member and means bodily movable with said member overhanging said restricted part and cooperating with the rim of said dial to prevent rotation of said member relative to said dial.

6. A lock device adapted to be inserted in a finger pull opening of a dial for reducing the range of character selections thereof; the combination of, a member, a key receiving barrel disposed therein, cam means carried by the barrel, latch means pivoted to said member, means for holding corresponding portions of the latch means beyond a part of the member, tumbler means within the member, spring means for normally urging the tumbler means to prevent rotation of the barrel, a jacket secured to said member to prevent displacement of the tumbler and spring means, the aforementioned corresponding portions of the latch means being adapted to be moved by the sides of a nger pull opening towards and within the member when a portion thereof is passed through said opening and means bodily movable with said member and overhanging a portion of said dial and cooperating therewith to prevent rotation of said member in respect to said dial.

7. A lock device adapted to be inserted in a finger pull opening of a dial for reducing the range of character selections thereof, the combination of, a member having an opening, a key receiving barrel disposed therein, cam means carried by the barrel, latch means pivoted to said member, means for holding corresponding; portions of the latch means beyond a part of the member, tumbler means within the member, spring means for normally urging the tumbler means to prevent rotation of the barrel, a jacket secured to said member to prevent the displacement of the tumbler and spring means, the aforementioned corresponding portions of the latch means being adapted to be moved by the sides of a finger pull opening toward the sides of the member and the jacket having means overhanging the rim of said dial and cooperating therewith to prevent rotation of said device relative to said dial.

8. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a perforated dial of a telephone, the combination of, a member having complementary portions, one constituting an expanded part, and another a reduced part, the parts being integrally connected and forming a shoulder adapted to seat on the dial about a perforation, the reduced portion being disposed in and below said perforation, means bodily movable with said member and cooperating with the rim of said dial and spaced from said reduced part to prevent rotation of said member in said perforation and means to prevent removal of the aforementioned restricted part from said perforation.

9. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a perforated dial of a telephone, the combination of, a member having complementary portions, one constituting an expanded part and another a reduced part, the parts being integrally connected and forming a shoulder adapted to seat on the dial about a perforation, the reduced portion being disposed in and below said perforation, a jacket secured to said expanded part, key operative means carried by said member to permit or prevent removal of said restricted part from said perforation and a lug associated with said member and overhanging said dial to prevent the rotation of said restricted part in said perforation.

l0. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a perforated dial of a telephone, the combination of, a member having expanded and reduced parts forming a shoulder adapted to seat on said dial about a perforation, the reduced portion being removably disposed in and below said perforation, a jacket secured to said expanded part, key operative means carried by said member to permit or prevent removal of said reduced part from said perforation and means overhanging said reduced part and disposed adjacent to the outer rim of said dial and cooperating therewith and bodily movable with said member to prevent rotation of said member relative to said dial.

11. In a device for reducing the range of selections of a perforated rotatable dial of a telephone, the combination of, a member having expanded and reduced parts forming a shoulder adapted to seat about a perforation of said dial, the vreduced portion being removably disposed in and below said perforation and occupying substantially the entire area thereof, a jacket secured to said expanded part and including a depending extension spaced from the restricted part and disposed within close proximity to the outer rim of said dial and overhanging said reduced part to prevent rotation of said member with respect to said dial, and key operative means to permit or prevent removal of said reduced part from said opening.

SAMUEL SEGAL. 

